The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-07-12


and holiness as prevailed in the City OF
Enoch; but for reasons that were per-
fectly apparent, those efforts had been
com paratiyely in vain. The Zion of the
Lord cannot be built up unless the
Saints are united and yield obedience
unto Gods laws. celestial principles,
and it was because the people were un-
willing, or, may be, unable in their
weakness to conform to the require
ments of the Lord. that the order had
not been established.
There is constantly warfare N the
hearts of men-a warfare between the
love of the things of earth and the
things of heaven, and so long as men
love the former and neglect the latter
the Zion of the Lord can not be estao-
lished. No man can serve two masters.
1t is no crime to possess wealth; money
is not the root of all evil; it is the love
of money and the worship OF wealth
which constitutes the sin, and when pos
essed of these evils, the peoples hearts
are removed from God. But where, Ike
Abraham, they are willing to deny self
and lay all upon the altar to DO the
will of God; when they love Their
neighbors as themselves; then they Will
become the Zion of God-the pure IN
heart.
In the early days of the church
revelations were given pointing
out the spot wherein the Zion
of the latter days should be
established; that spot was Jackson
| County, Mo. 1t had been purchased
for many years, and would yet be oc-
cupied by the Saints. 1t would be
called Zion, new Jerusalem, place OF
safety and refuge for the Saints, and
the glory of the Lord shall be there and
| the terror of the Lord shall be there,
insomuch that the wicked shall say let
US not go up against Zion, for her in
habitants are terrible. 1t would be the
righteousness of her people that would
render her so terrible; not the force and
power of arms. The wicked flee when
no man pursueth. The glories and
brig htness of the Zion of the latter
days were glowingly depicted by the
bishop.
The stupendous work ahead of the
Saints was the conquest by themselves
of their own hearts; every man and
woman must sanctify himself or herself
that done, the battle would be won;
the rest of the work comparatively
easy. All men who have strong appe-
tites and passions know how difficult it
is to conquer and subdue them. Those
who do not have them. know not what
it is to struggle against them. He did
not feel like being harsh or uncharlt-
able, and to condemn men for inherit
ing certain appetites. We know not the
secret springs of mems actions. In the
words of Burns:
whats done ye partly may compute
But know not what's resisted"
When a person sins and falls all the
world may know it, but do they know
how bravely the temptation was battled
against, time and again, before he finally
fell. We should be mercIful and char
liable and forgive, yea, often, if it be
not sin unto perdltlon. 1t is labor of
years, gradual work, to bring our
selves into that condition when the
Lord will say lit is enough" and choose
those who are worthy to redeem Zion.
Our fathers and mothers and grand
fathers and grandmothers went from
Kirkland to Missouri with pure motives,
and many of them were faithful in the
service of the Lord but they were
mixed, as we are, with unfaithfuI
Saints, and there were Earrings and
contentious and covetous and lustfuI
desires among them; and the Lord
raised up the Gentiles, as He did the
Phiiistines of old, and the Saints were
plundered and driven; not because thew
were worse than their oppressors, for
they were not but because it fulfilled
the purposes of God. He permits the
oppressor to prosecute His people, not
because the prosecutors are pure and
righteous, but because it is neces-
sary to teach the Saints obedience. If
need be by suffering. The Saints were
tainted by their opponents, who say
they must have been wicked, or
they would not have been prosecuted
in Missouri and Nauvoo Were the Israel
ties more wicked than their enemies
because the Lord permitted the
Phllllstines to harr IS he and
persecute them2 The SAINTS are
Infinitely better than their perSecut
that they shall be, for they have re-
ceived more light than their fellow men
and from those to whom much has been
given, much viii be required.
| In February, 1884, lions Camp was
called to recover the lands and pos
sessions in Jackson County, Missouri,
| from which the Saints had been
driven, and they left in Nav.
This little band numbered $50 souls.
| They took their lives in their hand.
| The country was reused against them.
They went forth like heroes to fulfil the
mission placed upon them. The under
taking appeared fanatical and fool
hardy. Two hundred against whole
county, or a whole State! But God
fights not with force of numbers,
Small bands in ancient DAYS
wrought wonders; the defenders of
Thermopyle; the 300 Gideonites were
referred to, also the proves of Samson,
to show that with the help of the Al
mighty miracles had been accomplished
by the few. One hundred years ago on
this land, a few patriots fought for lib
erty and succeeded. Patrick Henry
said 5000, 900 of people armed III the
holy cause of liberty are invincibIe."
And they would have been so, had God
willed, if there had been but 300 of
them. Ziop's Camp went forth relying
on the arm of Jehovah, and the con
duct of their campaign was a historical
miracle, but the mission was without
its full result because of disunion and
rebellion on the part of some of its
members. Nor were those whom they
went forth to succor sufficiently obedi-
ent after being chastened. The Bishop
related an instance, when the camp was
struggling against the cholera, of the
unklndness of one who claimed to he q